Mammals of Illinois

by Hoffmeister, Donald F.

• ISBN13: 9780252070839
• ISBN10: 0252070836
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-08-01
• Publisher: Univ of Illinois Pr

Summary

"Donald F. Hoffmeister's authoritative guide provides a detailed profile of all the state's mammals, past and present--from the elephant-sized mastodons that roamed the region during the Ice Age and the black bears and bobcats that early Illinois settlers encountered, to the plethora of creatures that now live on the state's prairies, woodlands, and hills. Outlining how human activities such as hunting and farming have altered the state's terrain and affected numerous species, Hoffmeister discusses which species have been wiped out, which are endangered or threatened, which no longer live in Illinois but survive elsewhere, and which might inhabit the region in the future. In this comprehensive study, now available for the first time in paperback, Hoffmeister briefly characterizes the climate, soils, and vegetation of Illinois, particularly as they affect mammals. In addition to detailing mammals known to be present in the area during the Pleistocene and Holocene eras, Hoffmeister identifies each order and family of mammals present in Illinois since 1900. Within each family, each species is characterized by habit, habitat, food, reproduction, population, and variation. These entries are supplemented by tables, anatomical drawings, photographs, and Illinois and United States distribution maps.Enhanced by sixty color photographs, more than one hundred line drawings, and a glossary of scientific terms, Mammals of Illinois is an indispensable resource for students, teachers, biologists, and nature enthusiasts."

Author Biography

Donald F. Hoffmeister is director emeritus of the Museum of Natural History and professor emeritus of ecology, ethology, and evolution at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	xiii
Methods and Plan	xv
History of Mammal Study in Illinois	1	(2)
Physical Geography and Relation to Mammals	3	(12)
Physiography	3	(2)
Climate	5	(1)
Soils	5	(1)
Vegetative and Geographical Divisions	5	(10)
Relationship of Mammals to Physiographic Features	11	(4)
Game and Fur-bearing Mammals	15	(4)
Endangered and Threatened Mammals in Illinois	19	(2)
Numbers, Populations, and Fluctuations of Illinois Mammals	21	(6)
Mammals from Pleistocene to Late 1800's	27	(16)
Early History of Mammals in Illinois 1950-1900	27	(9)
Pleistocene and Holocene Mammals Known from Illinois	36	(7)
Extirpated and Possible Species in Illinois	43	(6)
Species of Possible Occurrence in Illinois (past or future)	43	(4)
Extirpated Species That Have Disappeared in Illinois within Historic Time	47	(2)
Mammals in Illinois Since 1900	49	(272)
Checklist of Species and Subspecies	49	(2)
Order Marsupialia, Marsupials	51	(6)
Didelphis, opossums	51	(6)
Order Insectivora, Insectivores	57	(27)
Key	57	(1)
Sorex, long-tailed shrews	57	(9)
Blarina, short-tailed shrews	66	(8)
Cryptotis, least shrews	74	(5)
Scalopus, eastern moles	79	(5)
Order Chiroptera, Bats	84	(49)
Key	84	(6)
Myotis, myotis bats	90	(17)
Lasionycteris, silver-haired bats	107	(3)
Pipistrellus, pipistrelles	110	(3)
Eptesicus, brown bats	113	(4)
Lasiurus, hairy-tailed bats	117	(8)
Nycticeius, evening bats	125	(3)
Plecotus, big-eared bats	128	(2)
Tadarida, free-tailed bats	130	(3)
Order Lagomorpha, Rabbits	133	(13)
Key	133	(1)
Sylvilagus, cottontails	133	(9)
Lepus, jack rabbits	142	(4)
Order Rodentia, Rodents	146	(116)
Key	146	(3)
Tamias, chipmunks	149	(5)
Marmota, woodchuck	154	(4)
Spermophilus, ground squirrels	158	(8)
Sciurus, tree squirrels	166	(10)
Tamiasciurus, red squirrels	176	(5)
Glaucomys, flying squirrels	181	(4)
Geomys, pocket gophers	185	(6)
Castor, beavers	191	(5)
Oryzomys, rice rats	196	(3)
Reithrodontomys, harvest mice	199	(3)
Peromyscus, white-footed mice	202	(15)
Ochrotomys, golden mice	217	(5)
Neotoma, eastern wood rats	222	(5)
Microtus, voles	227	(14)
Ondatra, muskrats	241	(6)
Synaptomys, bog lemmings	247	(4)
Rattus, Old World rats	251	(4)
Mus, house mouse, relatives	255	(2)
Zapus, meadow jumping mice	257	(5)
Order Carnivora, Carnivores	262	(52)
Key	262	(1)
Canis, coyotes	263	(12)
Vulpes, red fox	275	(3)
Urocyon, gray fox	278	(4)
Procyon, raccoons	282	(6)
Mustela, mink, weasels	288	(10)
Taxidea, badgers	298	(3)
Mephitis, striped skunks	301	(4)
Lutra, river otters	305	(5)
Felis, cats	310	(4)
Order Artiodactyla, Even-toed ungulates	314	(7)
Odocoileus, deer	314	(7)
Glossary	321	(6)
Literature Cited	327	(13)
Index	340